Goodbye
by JustADreamAway735
Summary: Sometimes, you must be selfishly unselfish to balance the line between your wants and needs. And it's never going to be easy


_A/N: You'll probably hate me after this, but I had some feels after watching 'I See the Light', and I wanted to toss in some angst here. And if you're wondering why this isn't part of 'Drabbles, Blots, and Et Cetera', I felt that this was strong enough to stand on its own. Enjoy_

_Until next story_

_-(insert real name here)_

* * *

'Winded' wasn't nearly the right term to describe how he felt. But it was good enough.

Jack caught himself, chuckled, and asked, "I'm-I'm sorry, _what _did you just say?"

Rapunzel lowered her face from view, the inside of her bottom lip feeling like torn rubber. She grimaced. "Don't make me have to say it again Jack," she whispered.

"No no, _please _enlighten me." That came out a bit more forceful than he intended. He didn't say sorry though. "My hearing must be going Rapunzel, 'cause it sounded like you wanted to _break up_ with me."

Rapunzel found a great deal of entertainment from her cup of iced water. She sighed, not meeting his gaze, and said, "...You heard right, Jack."

There was that term 'winded' again. Its description was so close yet so utterly far from how he felt. It was too technical. It didn't describe how he felt his lungs being crushed by a vice, how he was fighting at the bottom of a watery trench with a fifty ton weight chained to his ankle. How his heart was obliterated right out of his chest, the surrounding cavity scorched from the explosion.

He felt empty.

"Ra-Rapunzel...W-Why..._Why-_"

"Don't." Her words skillfully filleted him. Her shoulders shook, he guessed from crying. She sniffled, then said, "I came to a realization the other night, when I tried waiting up for you to come home from that party."

Jack winced visibly from that statement. He hadn't known that she waited for him in the first place.

"I was resting in my love seat," Rapunzel continued. "And I realized: you don't need me."

"That's not-"

"Let me finish. You don't need me, Jack. As much as I want to keep up with you, I just can't. You need someone who isn't as introverted, as shy as I am. I mean, you know how much that I want adventure in my life...but with you, I feel like I'm always being dragged behind.

"It's not fair for me to keep you waiting when you need that freedom that I can't give you. And...and I need someone who will stay by my side during my adventures, not go gallivanting off on their own."

Realization dawned him. His mouth widened into a skewed 'o'. "God, you don't mean you're-"_  
_

Her nod said it all. "I do. _He _needs me, Jack. And I need him too."

She stood up to leave when he gripped her arm like a lifeline. No matter how he maneuvered, Jack couldn't meet her worn-down gaze.

"Rapunzel, you _know _that I love you." His voice was a cracked sheet of glass. "Don't you?"

Rapunzel shuddered, and he could see her lips tremble. "I never said that you didn't," she said softly. "But I'm not good for you."

"That's a lie!"

Her head snapped up, mouth set into a taut line, eyes devoid of the warmth he was so used to seeing. "It's **not**, though! I'm sorry that I can't be as free as you are! I'm sorry that I've been keeping you back for so long! I'm sorry that I can't give you what you _need_! Now I'm giving us the chance to move on. I'm taking that chance, Jack."

"Rapunzel, you _can't _leave me for _him_! You don't even love him!"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "How **dare** you. You know what, I _do _love him. Maybe not as much as he loves me, but I'm sure it'll grow in time. Jack, he's better for me. He'll stay with me. He'll dedicate himself only for me."

A pause. "You know that I never cheated."

"I know." She finally tugged herself away from him. It didn't take any effort. "I have to go now, Jack. Eugene's waiting for me"

Jack didn't look up. Rapunzel stopped at the doorway of the empty cafe. She sighed and turned back to look at him. He had to strain his ears to hear what she said next. "For the record, I still love you too. But you don't _need_ me; you'll find someone else...Please, I can't be selfish. Not to you, Jack."

Right before the door swung shut, a breeze fluttered over to him, carrying her last word.

"Goodbye."


End file.
